In January of 2022, Six Nations Rugby announced that it had signed an agreement with the Chinese technology company Byte Dance to promote the Women’s Six Nations Tournament on its streaming platform TikTok. The four-year deal renamed the women's championship the TikTok Women's Six Nations. It also makes TikTok an official partner to the men’s Six Nations and the Autumn Nations Series.
At first glance, the selection of a social media company that connects millions of young people around the world is a win. The majority of TikTok users are Gen Z, born after 1996. The sponsorship has amazing potential to grow the women’s game through content exclusive to the platform, good for TikTok, good for rugby.
The women’s game has been in search of financial legitimization, and in order for the women's game to grow, it needs cash that at this point the fans are not willing to spend. Typically fans will pay around ten to fifteen pounds to attend a womens international. They will pay in upwards of fifteen-hundred pounds for hospitality at a marquee men’s game, and around one hundred-and-thirty pounds for a seat up with the gods. That is an enormous difference in the marketing power of the two games. And the market sets the price based on three factors one of which is demand.
Please note that this is not a knock on women’s rugby or on the skill, dedication, or the hard work put forth by the athletes and coaches. It is however an assessment of the marketing and financial value the women’s game offers as a form of entertainment that fans are willing to pay for.
The TikTok deal was hailed by the Telegraph as a "landmark development in the history of the women’s tournament after organizers had come under increasing pressure to attract a viable commercial partner for the competition” (01.27.22).
The Telegraph article does not specify who was applying "increasing pressure," but Rafters cannot help but wonder if Six Nations organizers rushed into a Faustian bargain when they chose to partner with TikTok in order to appease whoever was applying said pressure.
The problem
The purpose of a sponsorship is of course for a company to reach fans of a particular sport through the placement of advertising and promotions. The right combination creates a mutually beneficial symbiosis and ideally enhances the prestige of both the advertiser and the event. It also inextricably links the sponsor with a league, e.g., Gallager Premiership, the Guinness Six Nations, the TikTok Womens Six Nations.
But it’s appearing more and more that TikTok is like the creepy guy who trolls neighborhoods in an ice-cream van and looks through your windows while selling treats to your kids. You certainly don’t want them getting into his white van.
Byte Dance and TikTok are essentially only differentiated by name and have close associations with the Chinese Communist Party. The company is coming under increased scrutiny throughout Europe and America.
The US Federal Government and several US states have already banned Tik Tok from being loaded on government devices, and the US Government and the European Union are discussing outright bans of the platform. Bad for Tik Tok. Bad for rugby.
A trojan horse for the CCP
It has been reported that a TikTok whistle blower revealed that the app has back doors that allows it to access key strokes, personal information, and locations. The app has also been used by the CCP to spy on journalists working for Forbes Magazine.
Most recently FBI Director Chris Wray testified at a US Senate hearing that Tik Tok gives the Chinese Communist Party the ability to take control of a phone loaded with the app.
Finally, TikTok has been accused of creating algorithms promoting addictive behavior. While the app is surely tracking the kids who use it in China the way it does in Europe and in North America, the content Chinese kids see is very different. Gone are the often dangerous TikTok challenges, replaced with cool science experiments and videos promoting patriotic endeavors.
It’s no wonder that a recent survey juxtaposes just how far our kids have been drawn into their Tik Tok, dopamine addictions. In a recent survey, Chinese and American children were asked, what do you want to be when you grow up. The number one answer given by Chinese children was astronaut. The number one answer given by American children was YouTube influencer. In this case it is not unreasonable to interchange the platforms as the vehicle to “workless” fame.
In Rafters’ view TikTok is toxic, and rugby’s association with the company tarnishes the sport. The Six Nations must choose between the concerns of the nations represented in the tournament and their fans or taking money from a company known to spy on its users at the bidding of a hostile government.
That’s on fan’s view from Beyond the Rafters.
Afters
If you are interested in watching Premiership Rugby in the United States (live or replays), you can stream all the matches on Peacock. Xfinity includes Peacock with some cable subscriptions. Flo Rugbyoffers replays of the Autumn Internationals, USA Rugby, the Rugby Championships, and Super Rugby. The Rugby Network broadcasts the MLR and the Pool C Tournament for no charge,
Fine Print
Other than a customer, Rafters is not affiliated with any league, team, or streaming/cable service.